


A Song of Ice, Fire, and Death

by ScytheMeister7



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Body Sharing, Canon-Typical Violence, Death (Character) - Freeform, F/M, M/M, Multi, Mythology and Legends, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Psychic Abilities, Sex, Twins (kinda), direwolves, memory sharing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-06
Updated: 2015-06-06
Packaged: 2018-04-03 05:23:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4088548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScytheMeister7/pseuds/ScytheMeister7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Winter is coming for the first time in years and things in the land of Westeros are changing. Ned Stark has become the Hand of the Kind, Sansa Stark has been betrothed to Joffrey Baratheon, Jon Snow has decided to take the black, Cersei Lannister is planning something, and a new arrival has just shown up in Winterfell, a girl Ned Stark now names as his Ward. Who is she, or rather, they, and what exactly do they know? Kerrin and Kieran may be the only ones who know how to stop the impending doom that's creeping up farther and farther along.</p><p>(Sucky summary, I apologize)</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Song of Ice, Fire, and Death

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever ASOIAF fic I've ever written so be nice please. A few announcements that shall hopefully clear any future confusions you may have:
> 
> 1\. This fic loosely follows both the book and the show  
> 2\. The characters are the ages they are in book. For example: Sansa is 11, Jon and Robb 14, and etc.  
> 3\. Each chapter is basically one episode, excluding the first  
> 4\. Kerrin and Kieran are the same person. They share a body but different genders, appearances, and personalities  
> 5\. Characters that died in canon may or may not die in this fic  
> 6\. Characters that are still alive in the canon may or may not stay alive in this fic (This and #5 are what Major Character Death entails)  
> 7\. Theon is a dick 
> 
> Any additional info, just ask and I'll try my best to answer. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this and please comment/leave kudos

It stood amid the fields alone, peering out at the world from where it stood between the tall, uncut stalks of grass. Without a warning, memories that were not its own began to flood the thing's head. They were memories of past events, present passings, and future destinations.

There were people the thing had never seen let alone met before. A few stood out: A young man with curly dark hair and equally dark eyes, another with brown curly hair and a charming smile, a pretty girl with long red-brown hair, a younger girl that was more boy than anything, an older man with hair up to his neck and kind eyes, and a girl with silver blonde hair pulled into beautiful braids.

There were others, many others, but the thing couldn't help but feel as though these were the ones it would need to focus on for now. It knew these people needed help and thus it shifted.

The nameless and featureless figure that stood in the fields became a young woman of about fifteen years of age with long, flowing black hair that reached the back of her knees even braided. Her eyes were a soft pale blue grey with a thin ring of silver around the pupil. She stretched her naked body and a soft white dress materialized around her, hugging the gentle curves of her waist and sloping thighs perfectly. White gloves with a stripe of red around the wrist adorned her hands as a silver chain laced itself around her neck with a single pendant in the form of a scythe. She didn't understand its significance but of course, she didn't really understand anything at the moment.

Her feet remained bare as she began to walk, heading towards the first location on her internal list. It sounded like an interesting place. It was called Winterfell.

-~-

The girl sat in the back of the wagon with a rather dirty rag stuffed into her mouth as well as her arms and legs bound together. The bottom of her dress was unfortunately ripped to shreds and the once pure white material was now marred with dirt, blood, and a few substances that could be considered questionable.

Small scraps of dried leaves and twigs had found a home in the intricate weavings of her braid, occasionally poking her uncomfortably in the back where it rested.

Thankfully, the man directing the wagon hadn't put a blindfold over her eyes. There was something about things in her face that just...pissed her off. Speaking of the man, he glanced back from his horse to look at the girl and narrowed his eyes. She gave him an entirely innocent look as he spat out almost whispered words.

"Dirty whore." The girl cocked her head in confusion at the usage of words she'd never heard before.

A whore? Was that what she was? Seeing as how the man's tone was less than pleasant while using the word, she'd come to the conclusion that it wasn't a very nice thing to be. She chewed thoughtfully on the rag between her lips and decided the taste was unsatisfactory. Using her tongue, she skillfully pushed it out and flexed her sore jaws.

It was quite uncomfortable to have your mouth stretched wide for a long period of time. The rag dropped onto her lap and she politely pushed it off. Thankfully, she'd still been able to swallow and didn't have any drool running down the side of her mouth. That would'nt have made a very pretty sight.

She took a few deep breath before turning to look back at the man directing the wagon.

"Excuse me." She called out politely. The man didn't even seem surprised by her ability to have pushed the rag out of her mouth. It had already served its purpose to keep the girl quiet during the ride through town.

"Whadya want, girl?" He asked, voice gruff. Most would be able to easily tell the man wasn't looking forward to having this conversation. The girl wasn't apart of that most and thus carried on.

"Is it possible for you to head through...hmm. What's it called again? Oh! Winterfell? There's someone there that I must speak to." She said with a smile. The man sneered at her.

"You want me to just drop ya off in Winterfell? Is that where your damned whore house is? No way. You ran away didn't yah? Now you'll have to face Lord Stark." He said before turning back around and continuing on. The girl tilted her head in thought.

* _Lord Stark? Is he perhaps the man I need to see?_ * She asked herself before shrugging. The girl relaxed into where she was seated in the wagon and began to hum nameless tunes under her breath, careful not to be too loud as she knew it would only serve to annoy her captor.

-~-

Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell stood before the deserter, sword in hand and heart heavy. The man did not put up much of a fight to explain why he'd done what he'd done, only asking his Lord to warn and protect his family.

The mention of whitewalkers had sent shivers through his already cold body. Stark lifted the sword gracefully and let it drop, Valyrian steel connecting with flesh and bone, slicing cleanly through it before colliding with the ground. There was a distant intake of breath, most likely from his young son Bran, but he knew Robb would be there as support.

The boy needed to see the truth of the world and how strict its laws were sooner or later. Theon Greyjoy, Lord Stark's ward after the Greyjoy rebellion snickered, sadistic smile in place as he kicked the man's head away from his feet. Bran flinched at the act but said nothing, instead deciding to turn and face his brothers, knowing they'd hold some sort of comfort for him.

With the help of his ward, Lord Stark re-sheathed the great weapon and began to direct everyone in attendance to begin the ride back. As Lord, he had to stay in the middle of the pack though he watched his sons ride ahead of him.

He was bone tired and simply wished to sit beneath the weirwood in the forest surrounding the castle. The ride back to Winterfell would not take long is what he originally thought until he was interrupted by the call of his son. With a sigh, Lord Stark set off to find out what had caught his eldest's attention, never thinking that he'd be going home that day with six direwolf pups for each of his children, including Jon Snow.

He also did not think he'd be facing a young girl during his arrival at the castle. A girl who knew things no one should.

-~-

The girl was kneeled down in a room that was poorly lit. In front of her was a long table with three chairs. Papers were scattered on top and from what she'd managed to see before being violently pushed to her knees, they were important things.

* _Am I here to see the Lord Stark?_ * She questioned herself and of course, received no answers. The girl hadn't been here long, just a bit over ten minutes. Despite that, her knees were beginning to ache. She shifted her position a bit and ended up sliding to the side slightly and landed on her thighs.

The man who'd brought her in took no notice and simply stood behind her, waiting. The girl's eyes started to droop on her. The room was pleasantly warm despite the cold weather outside and her new position was much more comfortable. Just as she was about to drift off, a gust of freezing air pushed itself into the room. The girl could feel her bones chill and her blood freeze.

A man taller than six feet walked into the room covered in dark grey furs that shielded him from the cold. She looked up at them and wished to have some of her own. The simple, once white gown was much too thin to offer any sort of protection. The man was handsome in a dark and brooding sort of way. His brown hair was long up to his neck and his eyes were equally dark though there was a pleasant warmth hidden in them. A silver crest rested on his collarbone, keeping the cloak tied around him. It was ingrained with the image of howling wolf.

* _Direwolf_ * Her mind supplied the answer, correcting her previous assessment . Upon further inspection, the girl realized that this was one of the men she'd seen within the barrage of foreign memories.

"Who is she?" The man asked. His voice was authoritative though one could still easily here the fatigue behind it. Stark didn't want to be here at the moment. Without a thought, she stood up and smiled widely before moving to give the man a hug. Before she could take her second step, a hand clasped itself over her shoulder and dragged her back, causing her to trip on the skirts of her dress and tumble to the ground. She managed to catch herself on her hands instead of landing unceremoniously on her face.

Something told the girl it would not be pleasant. Unfortunately, the fall had caused her to cut her palms and rip her already ruined dress. The cuts stung unpleasantly and more of her thighs were now on display for everyone in the room. The man who'd dragged her here in the first place began to mutter apologies to the Lord before them.

"I deeply apologize Lord Stark. The girl is a nasty little thing. It would do no good to let her touch you." He said before kneeling. She couldn't help but think the man was better at it than she was. Stark let out a sigh that went unnoticed by everyone but the girl. She tilted her head in wonder and opened her mouth to speak.

"I have been looking for you, Lord Stark." She told him. "There is something I must tell you. Something of great importance that must be known before the arrival of the King and his company." She continued. Stark watched the girl with wide eyes before narrowing them in suspicion. The news of Robert Baratheon and his family's arrival in a couple of days had not been announced to the public yet. After all, Stark had only found out a few moments ago.

"How do you know of this, girl?" He asked, voice sharp. There was no room to ignore the question.

"I saw it. In my head. The King, Robert Baratheon and his dear wife and children are riding here from King's Landing. With bad news and an offer." The girl couldn't stop the words from pouring out of her mouth. She hadn't meant at all to say them though deep down within, she knew it was what she'd come here to do anyhow. Stark held out a hand for her to take.

"M-M'lord!" The man who'd escorted her called out. "You mustn't touch her. She's a dirty whore, in worthy of your help. The lies she spouts is wickedness to entice you!" He continued. Stark ignored the man and pulled the girl gracefully to her feet though the stinging in her hands intensified from being gripped so hard. She flinched slightly but said nothing, awaiting an answer from the man before her.

"What is your name?" Stark asked her. The girl cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"I-I do not have a name, my Lord." She confessed. "Not to any of my knowledge." Stark nodded and then asked her age. That, the girl actually knew...somewhat.

"I presume I may be of about fifteen years of age. That I am slightly unsure of." Her voice was polite and quiet. Stark once again said nothing, instead lifting one of her hands with both of his and inspecting the girl's palm. She had long lost her gloves and now the skin was scrubbed raw, an angry red color. Small droplets of blood began to appear and drip down the length of her fingers, dropping to the floor. The injuries burned unpleasantly though the pain was tolerable. Stark inspected her hand thoughtfully before calling over his shoulder.

"Maester Luwin, dress her wounds and send her with one of the maiden girls to find her some proper clothing. She shall be joining us for dinner." He ordered. The girl stood their in somewhat of a shock as well as the elder man she hadn't noticed in the room before. However, no one was in a deeper conundrum than the man who'd brought her in for questioning in the first place.

"Join my Lord and his family for dinner? B-but, she's just a common whore!" He griped. Stark hushed him with a single hand. "She is a guest today, Terris. Treat her as such." The man- Terris- nodded dumbly before bowing in respect and leaving the room. Maester Luwin took gentle hold of the girl's hand and smile reassuringly at her.

"Come with me, child. I'll have you nice and cleaned before dinner." It was the girl's turn to nod dumbly this time and followed behind the Maester, missing the odd look Lord Eddard Stark had on his face.

-~-

The girl sat awkwardly in the tub as a woman dressed in a dark blue dress and white head covering washed her body. It felt strange to be the only naked person in the room and being touched in such places in a purely clinical way was odd. It wasn't as though she were put off by it, merely confused. The girl had never gone through something such as this.

After all, her existence had begun only merely a week ago. She had not yet learned the exact nature and goings of people day to day.

"You're done, miss. Please stand and I shall help you dress." The woman, Mila as she'd introduced herself, helped the girl step out of the tub and wrapped a towel around her. Thick locks of black hair hung long, tickling the back's of her knees.

"You have very pretty hair, miss. Not even Lady Sansa's hair is this long." Mila complimented her. The girl smiled and thanked the woman before toweling herself dry. Mila moved towards the bed and picked up a dark, maroon colored dress of delicate velvet material laced intricately with silver around the cuffs. The bottom flared out and there was a slit on the left from knee down. It was gorgeous and the girl couldn't help but think it was much too pretty for her. Mila seemed to know what she was thinking and smiled.

"Do not worry, miss. This is a dress Lady Sansa has never worn. She claimed the color did not match her skin tone." The woman held up the dress to the girl.

"Dark reds seem to fit you. As does white. A perfect match." Mila said before moving towards the girl. Carefully, she pulled the corset on first, lacing up the back delicately. Then came the skirts. The girl felt...pretty. The dress fit her perfectly and despite her paler skin tone, it was a good match.

"T-thank you," She said with a smile. "It's beautiful." Mila smiled at the girl. "Come on now. Maester Luwin is waiting outside to take you to dinner with the Lord and his family." The girl nodded and followed behind Mila. Just as the woman had said, Maester Luwin was there outside the door. He gave the girl a reassuring smile before taking her delicately by the hand and leading her towards the dining hall. She was a bit flustered by what was going on.

In all honesty, she'd imagined that Lord Stark would have had her killed or thrown into a dungeon of sorts to be questioned for her odd knowledge. Instead, he invited her for dinner with him and his family. The girl's thoughts were clouded but before she could reach a proper conclusion, they'd already arrived. Maester Luwin opened the door and waved her in.

The room was large was a long dining table in the center made of cherry oak wood. The flames hung on the walls to keep the room lit reflected off the red of the wood making the atmosphere warm and comforting. The table had enough space for fifteen people, eight seats currently occupied. At the head of the table was Lord Eddard Stark and beside him, a pretty woman with red-brown hair and eyes that shown like emeralds.

The girl suspected her to be Stark's wife, Lady Catelyn Tulley-Stark. Lady Stark watched her with narrowed eyes, suspicion clear in the shiny green irises. On the other side of the Lord sat a young man with dark curly hair and whiskers. He was a handsome man and had the same eyes as his mother though his were more curious and less accusing.

Robb Stark, the girl thought to herself. Beside him was a sour looking young man who seemed to have a permanent sneer on his face: Theon Greyjoy, ward of Lord Stark.

The girl did not understand the looks he was giving her, almost lecherous in nature. Sitting across from him was a girl a bit younger than her. Her hair was auburn, looking almost orange when it caught in the light. Sansa Stark was the name that came to the girl's mind. Lady Sansa didn't seem too pleased to see another girl in her dress, regardless of it being one she wore of not.

The other three children were the youngest. Arya Stark, a small girl who more resembled her father than mother, Bran Stark, still but a boy with his young features, and Rickon Stark, the youngest at six years of age. The girl's thoughts were disrupted by the sound of another door being opened. In walked a young man the same age as Robb Stark. Curly dark hair was pushed out of his face to reveal a man who resembled Stark more than any of his other children.

His name was Jon Snow, the bastard child of Lord Stark and an unknown woman. He completely ignored the girl and instead turned to his father.

"I apologize for being late to dinner. I was just...caught off guard by the offer to attend." He apologized. Jon's voice rang deep and his words were genuine. Stark nodded at him and smiled, waving for him to take a seat before standing up himself and walking over to the girl.

"Tonight, we have a guest," He began to speak and faltered when he realized he had no way of introducing her as she'd given no name. Stark turned to her, studying her features before turning back to his family.

"Her name is Kerrin and I'm taking her on as my ward." The girl's eyes widened as she processed what Stark had just said. A name given especially to her and had he just said his _ward_? Tensions became thick in the air as everyone remained quiet. Finally, the deafening silence was disrupted by the sound of chair legs scrapping across the stone ground. The girl- now named Kerrin- looked up and saw Lady Catelyn standing up with her hands braced on the dinner table.

"My love, what is the meaning of this? A new ward... Where does she even come from?" The Lady's voice was strained and hard, displeasure seeping through each word. Just what she needed. Another child who was not her own to have to care for and fake-love.

"I apologize my Lady, but it is something that I must do. There was a family that I met during the war and I promised that if they ever needed help, I would do whatever I could under my power." Stark explained to his wife.

"I never told you because I was caught up with settling Jon in. It never occurred to me that they would take me up on my offer." The Lord's voice was wrapped in such an effective persuasive coating that no one could tell he was lying through his teeth. Everyone but the newly named girl who stood stock still beside Stark as he lied to his family.

Catelyn watched her husband before flicking her eyes to Kerrin. Lady Stark's gaze was heavy and analytical before she sighed and sat back down in her seat.

"I commend your graciousness, my Lord and so I shall support you in any decision you make. With or without my input." Her last words were strained but she did not look entirely put off. Eddard Stark smiled warmly at his family before leading Kerrin to take a seat beside Theon.

The older boy glanced at her, eyes less than welcoming. They were dark and hid some emotion the girl could not place. Dinner became a strained affair. Any attempt at pleasant conversation was thwarted by the thick tensions still hanging in the air.

Kerrin had no idea how she'd gotten herself into this situation. Then again, she had no idea what she'd needed to come here for in the first place. There had just been a strong pull in her mind telling her that something important needed to be done in Winterfell. The information about the King had been random to her and she still did not fully understand how she had known it in the first place. Kerrin remained quiet throughout the entirety of dinner, eating silently and ignoring the piercing looks she occasionally received from the Stark children, including Jon and Theon.

Halfway through, she felt a hand on her lap. Kerrin nearly choked on the glass of wine she had held up to her lips. Fingers as light as feathers traveled first down her leg, squeezing her thighs. The girl gripped the cup in her hand, unknowingly creating dents in the shape of her fingers. The hand then traveled back up, touching more intimately before she slammed the cup down onto the table and stood abruptly.

"I-I apologize. Please excuse me." Kerrin turned, grabbing her skirts, and ran out of the dinning room. Her thick black hair, loose, spread out like a cape behind her as she fled. All but one of the occupants left in the room sat there dumbfounded.

Theon Greyjoy simply sat back and licked his lips, grinning like he'd just found a new, shiny toy to play with.

-~-

Kerrin didn't look back as she fled the room. Her heart beat heavily in her chest as she tried to think of what had just occurred. The boy beside her had tried to touch her. The thoughts made Kerrin shudder in repulsion. For some reason, it made her sick to the stomach. Something was off about Theon Greyjoy and she did not like it at all.

* _He shall pay for touching us like that._ * A deep voice resonated within the girl's head. It sounded like a young man, voice gruff and highly annoyed. She stopped mid-step and looked around wildly, trying to spot the person who'd spoken.

"Who goes there?" She called out, a bit terrified. She could hear a dry laugh.

* _You truly know nothing, do you girl?_ * The voice asked. * _I'm not hiding amongst the shadows. I am in your head. I am you._ * The voice told her. Kerrin stopped looking around the halls and slowly put a hand up to her head. She didn't know exactly what she was feeling for, touching only strands of soft, silky hair.

"Me?" She asked out loud. "What exactly does that mean?" Kerrin could feel a separate part of herself thinking. A part that was still her but not under her control.

* _Me and you are the same person though two separate personalities. You share the purer and happier emotions while I embody the darker._ * The voice told her. Kerrin nodded her head. For some reason, she actually understood what she was being told.

"I see. Um, what is your name? I cannot continue referring to you as 'The-voice-in-my-head'. It's much too long." Kerrin noted. The voice laughed again though it seemed a slight bit more genuine.

* _Originally, we did not have a name. It seems the old man has given you one, though. Of course, I cannot share it as I'm technically male. Kieran is decent enough. It's similar to yours though still prominently male._ * He told her. Kieran... An interesting name. * _It means 'black' as yours means 'dark' in a language not of this world._ * Kieran explained. Kerrin hummed in understanding.

"Why are you in my head rather than...here. With me?" She asked, still a bit confused.

* _As I had mentioned before, we are two sides of the same person and currently, you are in control. We occupy the same body though with two different minds despite being the same person._ * Kieran paused for a second before continuing. * _Am I confusing you? I can understand if you're not getting it. Our knowledge was split in half when we were...formed. You posses innocence and the ability to connect with humans while I retain the knowledge of our formation and the technicality of things. However, there is one problem. It seems neither of us know exactly why nor how we came into existence. It's as though a higher being put us here to wander around like lost children._ * Kieran said in disgust. Kerrin frowned.

"You mustn't speak like that of the gods. They'll hear you and punish us." She said. Kerrin could practically feel her counterpart roll his eyes.

"Last question," She began. "How do you know you're a boy?" Kerrin could obviously hear the masculinity in Kieran's voice but it didn't necessarily mean it reflected his gender.

* _I'm not entirely sure. Just...a feeling._ * He said. Kerrin nodded her head.

"I suppose that's alright. So, what are we to do now? I cannot return after my outburst. It was unseemly after the hospitality of Lord Stark and his family." Kerrin felt genuinely bad for having left in such a harsh manner. It was only the shock of having been harassed in such a way. The feeling was entirely unpleasant.

* _The boy shall pay for touching you in such a manner. Do not worry. I'm sure the old man will not hold it against you._ * Kieran reassured her. Despite his overall cynical and aloof tone of voice for most topics, he seemed to genuinely care for the well being of Kerrin.

"Thank you," She said before turning around to look back the direction she had run from. "Should I...return? I must apologize to them." Kerrin said and began walking quickly without waiting for a response.

* _Do what you want, it's none of my concern._ * Kieran told her before receding back into her mind in his own private place. Kerrin said a small goodbye and continued walking before pushing open the door to the dining room and entering once again. She was surprised to see Lord Stark sitting there alone.

Lady Catelyn and the children had long left and the table had been cleared of all plates and serving dishes but hers. Stark didn't even look up from the book he held in his hands, simply waving a hand in the air to motion for her to retake her seat.

Hesitantly, she did, sliding down onto the chair slowly. Kerrin dared to look up and saw that Stark had yet to put his book down. It looked old and uninteresting with a brown leather cover that was quite obviously well worn. From her angle, the girl could see that some of the pages had yellow from age and curled slightly near the edges. A deep voice broke her from her thoughts.

"Finish you dinner. I'll talk, you will listen." Kerrin nodded dumbly at the obvious order. She picked up her utensils and slowly chewed a bite of potato mash. The girl hasn't eaten much after her initial creation but she thought she'd already found a favorite food. Stark put the book down finally and turned to face Kerrin.

"I understand that you are confused. If I'm being honest with myself, I'm not entirely sure what is going on either. I never thought you'd actually be real..." The last sentence was more said to himself that anyone else. "I'm not entirely sure how to go about this but I assume I should start somewhere." Stark picked back up the book he had been reading and slid it down the length of the wooden table. It stopped right before it could touch the edge of Kerrin's plate.

"You are in that book. Or rather, your legend is. My father always told me that one day, there would be a person who arrived to save Westeros and the Seven Kingdoms from a terrible fate worse than a long winter. I never believed him, thinking it was just another tale a father told their son at night.” Kerrin picked up the book carefully and examined it.

The leather was just as worn as she’d thought, smooth and soft from having been held in so many different hands, She flipped through the pages and watched words pass her by, not really reading but seeing.

“According to the stories, a young man or woman would appear randomly with memories and information that no one should normally know. Memories of the past, present, and future. This person would help the land of Westeros persevere through whatever horrible events the gods have planned for us and allow the people to continue on. Throughout the years, after my father’s death, I began to think that perhaps he was right. Maybe this was one legend that was true. I just never assumed the hero of the tales would be a girl, let alone a child.” Stark confessed. Somehow, that response angered Kerrin.

“Would you rather I was male? According to the person in my head, I do have a male counterpart who I bet would love to help in your little mission.” Kerrin’s words came out sour and irritated, She pushed the book away from her and looked up at Lord Stark who stared back with eyes wide from shock at her outburst. Kerrin quickly realized what she’d done and blushed in shame.

“I apologize, my Lord. I do not know what came over me.” She apologized quickly. Rather than the yelling she thought she’d receive, Kerrin instead heard what sounded like amused laughter. She peeked up from behind her hair that had fallen in front of her face and saw Stark smiling at her.

“No need to apologize, child. It is always good to hear a girl speak up for herself. I must say, I was not expecting something like that from you.” He said kindheartedly. Kerrin only nodded dumbly. “The reason I said such is because everyone young lordling proposes that the heroes in stories are always valiant men who put their lives at stake for the justice of what or who they are fighting for. A simple remnant of a boy’s childhood.” He said as ways of apology. Kerrin nodded her head again.

“I-I see.” She said. Stark gave her one last smile before turning serious again. “You said something of a voice in your head? What of it do you mean?” He asked. Kerrin chastised herself for allowing unprocessed words to once again leave her mouth. She blushed in embarrassment and something that was not exactly shame.

“I...yes. I do have a voice in my head, His name is Kieran. He claims to be my male counterpart as well as the other personality inhabiting this body. According to him, we share the same existence though with two separate minds.” Kerrin confessed. Stark’s expression did not change as he processed the new information.

“Does he have...control of your body as well?” He asked after a few moments of silence.

* _Tell him sometimes. We’ll switch whenever the situation calls for it. We can also do it anytime the one in control feels the need._ * Kerrin almost fell from her seat at the sudden arrival of Kieran’s voice in her head. Silverware clattered on the dark wood of the table causing Stark to look at her worriedly.

“S-sorry. I apologize again, my Lord. He just...spoke. It took me by surprise.” She said, Stark nodded his head and waited for her to continue. “He said that we can switch whenever the one in control feels the situation calls for it or simply wants to.” She explained.

* _Ask if he wants a demonstration. Don’t worry. I’ll guide you through the process. It should be as easy as breathing._ * Kieran explained to her. Kerrin nodded her head in answer.

“He asked if you’d like a demonstration.” Stark looked startled by the question. “And how exactly would you do that?” He asked rather than answered. Kerrin simply gave him a smile before standing up and moving towards a more spacious part of the room. She stood still with her arms and at her sides and eyes closed, taking in deep breaths and reciting something in a language Stark had never heard before in his life.

"Zempheya astronozia delephena." There was a stillness in the air that had not been present before. The fire from the hanging torches seized to flicker and instead looked frozen in time. The air became thick and filled with a tingling sort of static that set the hair on the back of Stark’s neck standing. He continued to watched the girl and saw as she grew in height from a meek 5’6” to a much more impressive stature of 6’2”. Her long black hair seemed to retract and shorted, instead brushing her neck instead. Once feminine characteristics turned more masculine and harded. Clothes faded into non-existence and were replaced by a silky white tunic that covered a broad, pale chest, rings of red dying the wrists.

White trousers also manifested along with a silver ring around his right ring finger that looked to be in the design of sharp scythe blades twisted to fit into the shape of his fingers. The new figure in the room remained barefooted and when he opened his eyes, Stark was not surprised to find that it was the same color as the girl’s with the similar hazy, grey/blue color though the silver ring around the pupil was much more metallic than sparkly. The young man- Kieran, Stark presumed- stretched his arms out. He let out a cat-like yawn before peering at Stark.

“Hello, sir.” Was all he said. Stark stared at the young man before him in a dazed like state. Never in his life had he ever seen anything like this. It was not something he ever even thought he would bear witness to as it was much too fantastical rather than realistic. Lord Stark quickly regained his nerve.

“You must be Kieran, the voice in Kerrin’s head,” He said. “I presume you already know who I am but I shall introduce myself, nonetheless. I am Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell, Warden of the North.” Kieran looked at him, bored.

“I can see that sir. There are more important matters than introductions at hand, Lord Stark. That boy, the one who I, or at least Kerrin, sat besides; where is he?” The young man asked. Stark was confused by the question. “My ward. Theon Greyjoy? What of him concerns you?” He asked. Kieran looked at him as though the older man was stupid.

“He touched her. Do you have not a thought as to why Kerrin ran out of the room like that? It was not simply the horrid tensions that plagued the afternoon.” He said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. “I must speak to the young man and tell him that it is simply inexcusable to touch such a young girl in a provocative and lustful way such as that when she is clearly not comfortable with it.” The words came out with a bite. Despite them being the same person, Kieran already looked at Kerrin as a young sister of sorts, fiercely protective of her.

That, Stark seemed to catch up on. “I did not witness this myself though I do not doubt your thoughts. Theon is not one of the most well mannered of men around the company of pretty women. I’ll take care of it myself. As for now, I hope that you would...shift back. Explaining Kerrin as my new ward is trouble enough. Explaining that she has a male counterpart is not something I plan on talking to my family about,” Kieran narrowed his eyes at the Lord before nodding his understanding.

“I see. I shall do as you ask. It would be troublesome to me as well, having Kerrin in more attention that necessary. And make sure that petulant child learns his lesson. Kerrin is not a plaything he can use when he wants. She is a part of me and when he upsets her, he angers me.” With that said and done, Stark explained to him where his room was and what the plan for the next day were.

That night, Kerrin fell asleep as herself and with a lot on her mind. Heavy thoughts and warm sheets pulled her into sleep as she closed her eyes and let herself drift off finally.


End file.
